How to Perform High-Intensity Interval Training

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is defined as a repeated quick burst of high-intensity exercise with seconds of light activities in between. The level of intensity is measured by the heart rate that is 85-95% of the maximum heart rate possible based on age and resting heart rate. This site can calculate your target heart rate.

Another way to measure intensity is by how you feel during the exercise. High intensity is when you break out in a sweat right away, you breathe deeply and rapidly and can’t say more than a few words without catching your breath.

Moderate intensity is breathing faster than usual but not short of breath, can talk in sentences but not sing and light sweat after a few minutes of activity.

Before you Exercise

It is highly recommended that anyone starting an exercise program should talk to their physician first.

Start an exercise log with the date, work-out with the number of repetitions, and heart rate to keep track of your progress. This book,  You Are Your Own Gym, is the bible of bodyweight exercises.

HIIT can be done with stationary cycles, treadmills,  a rower, or plain bodyweight. It can be done at a gym or at home. There are many free downloadable apps to keep track of time. They may be called HIIT or Tabata timers. The apps make it easier to concentrate on the exercise and not have to look at the clock.

How to do HIIT

Here is a sample format:

1. Warm-up for 10 minutes.
2. Do 20 seconds of the training to a target HR of 80-95% with 10 seconds of rest and repeated 8 times for a total of 4 minutes.
3. Rest for 3 minutes.
4. Repeat 2 then 3 for a total of 4 exercise periods and 3 resting segments.
5. Warm down with walking for 10 minutes.
6. The total duration including warm-up and warm-down will be 45 minutes.

The heart rate can be measured with your pulse and count for 15 seconds and multiply by 4. Or you can get an electronic heart rate monitor like the Polar H10 heart monitor. 

Ease into the program and progress slowly. You can start at 20 seconds of moderate-intensity and then 10 seconds of rest repeated 8 times for a total of 4 minutes.   Build up the effort, repetitions, and the total number of sets until you can do a total of 4 HIITs.  Three times a week is recommended.

The body will make adaptations as time goes on. What’s important is to get started.

One caveat. Exercise should be partnered with healthy nutrition. It is tough to out-exercise a bad diet.

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Related Readings:

1. High-Intensity Interval Training can Activate Ischemic Preconditioning
2. The 20/80 Rule for Health
3. 21 Benefits of High-Intensity Interval Training
4. Are You Ready for High-Intensity Life Situations?
5. How to be Active from Sedentary
6. Sarcopenia: The Scourge of Aging
7. The Sedentary Life
8. How Does Exercise Burn Visceral Fat? – cartoon video
9. Exercise and Neurogenesis
10. 8 Ways Decent Dental Care Defies Dementia

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